Earlier this week I had gotten an email from Sandy Carson saying something like, “Hey, would you like me to send you one of my band’s CD for review”? My response was, “I didn’t know you were in a band”, and “send it”. I email with Sandy every once in a while, have him as a Flickr contact, and I still had no idea, ha!

Anyhow, that bands name is Iglomat, and features Sandy and friends all contributing and having fun on a music project. The songs are mostly instrumental, some have breakbeat style drumming, and some with voiceover samples such as “Tornadic Activity”, which I like a lot. There’s a nice mix of genre’s going on. I totally didn’t know what to expect, but I sincerely have been enjoying the CD since it came. Absolutely.

Anyway, I figured a Q&A was in order since this was all new to me, as I’m sure it is to most of you, so click below to see what Sandy Carson had to say.

TELL US HOW IGLOMAT COME ABOUT?
It came about during a few pints at a disco at the Edinburgh Art School around the summer of 2005. Scott had already been recording with John Palkowiak from The Penpushers and I wanted in! David barged his way in there later on since he has red hair also, and has masterminded the project ever since.

WHO IS INVOLVED, AND WHAT DO THEY EACH CONTRIBUTE?
Iglomat is David Jack, Scott MacDonald (Scotland) and Myself (Austin), with some guest mongos and astronauts here and there. We all contribute a a multitude of tracks back and forth via 3 way ginger hair communication. The rough ends up in surgery at David’s studio where they go under the knife and put to radge beats till it’s given the final nod.

WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT/INTRUMENTS WERE USED FOR THE ALBUM?
Scott- 1963 Fender Telecaster guitar, Vintage Vox AC30 amp, Shure SM58 mics, Neumann U87 mic, Boxes of rice (for percussion on Federal.) M-Audio keyboard using Edirol Orchestra for piano and string sounds, Moog Rogue, HP Laptop, Motu 828 sound card, Cubase SX for recording, Wavelab for mastering.

David- Cubase, Novation synth, Fender bass, Gretsch guitar, A WEM amp, Guitar Rig, A Pod, An AKG microphone, two computers and some records.

Sandy- Fender mexican Telecaster/ 1970 Gibson SG, Fender Deville Amp, yamaha keys, misc. pedals, Apple G4 with garage band and DSL.

HOW WAS THE ALBUM PUT TOGETHER AND RECORDED?
Mostly from us recording live tracks and jams in our respective countries, then file shared across the pond and back via the beauty of the ole internet, with the final product being executed in pro tools.

ABOUT HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE ALBUM?
Approx 3 years.

MAKING MUSIC CAN BE FUN AND FRUSTRATING IM SURE. WHERE THERE ANY BALL UPS OR ISSUES PUTTING THE MUSIC TOGETHER?
No, not for me at least. Maybe for David, having to decipher, edit and structure all the tracks. There was no pressure to do this record whatsoever and no plans to do anything else but make some tunes with your mates. It was just fun and pure middle aged excitement to record. When we had a few tunes, we were like shit, lets do an album after we done the “Tornadic Activity” 7inch. Scott owns KFM records so it was an amazing opportunity to do a full length with the label being DIY from the floor up. Also with your own label, you can take full control of the project and suffer the debt at our own stupidity rather than at someone else’s expense! hahaha!

WHO CAME UP WITH THE NAME, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN, IF ANYTHING?
I stole it from the Clikitat Ikatowi song “Iglomatic”. It sounded good as a name, but when I googled it, the only thing that came up was aphoto of a needle exchange in the Ukraine, so I guess that’s what it means to us!

FILL US IN ON THE COVER ARTWORK. IT WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AN ARTIST AND YOUR PHOTOS?
Yeah, that was another transatlantic collaboration, much like the album conception. I’ve been working with Irish artist Nigel Peake for a coupla years with my bird migration photos and his intricate mechanical drawings for a book we were going to put out. It never came out, so we decided to feature it on the album.

IVE HEARD THAT AUSTIN IS A GREAT MUSIC TOWN. WHAT BANDS/ARTIST’S HAVE YOU BECOME A FAN OF BY SEEING THEM PLAY THERE?
It’s the music capitol of the world here and slap bang in the middle of the country, so we get pretty much every artist of every genre coming though here on tour. Pretty spoiled if you ask me. There are so many bands here, it’s hard to keep track and can make you jaded. And working and shooting for The Austin Chronicle, I end up being exposed to tons of new bands that I’ve never heard. I’d say my fave bands here in town are, The Sword, Balmorhea, The Black and White years, Transmography, ST-37, White Denim and last but not least Roky Erickson and Jad Fair.

HOW WAS SXSW?
It was bonkers. Pretty overwhelming. SXSW had over 700 bands in town and that wasn’t even the bands that are from here. It’s a wild fest, you end up not sleeping for about 5 days and have blisters running from show to show!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO RECENTLY?Everything and anything. I’ve been on a second hand vinyl splurge lately buying old jazz and folk records. I think I’m reliving my goth youth or having a mid-life crisis as well, cos the last couple I bought were The Cocteau Twins and Red Lorry yellow Lorry! Also diggin Yeasayer, and KFM’s latest bangers Victoria Berg and The Blinfolded Man.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT AND BUY THE CD?
On our Myspace page

Our label KFM Records

For more info on David Jacks music

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